Batteries in search of technological disruptions - Engineering Techniques focus, May 2024

The subject of batteries has been on the industrial scene for some years now. It has emerged at a time similar to that of the carbon impact of transport, and the desire to develop the most environmentally-friendly modes of transport possible. The politically programmed worldwide advent of electric vehicles is accompanied by the development of electric batteries capable of delivering the performance, in terms of power, range, safety and price, needed to propel mechanically and economically efficient non-thermal modes of transport. Of course, the use of batteries is not limited to transport. As part of the energy transition, it is vital to implement systems capable of storing energy, in the form of electricity, for redistribution when it is most needed. For example, storing surplus electricity produced by wind turbines on windy days, or by solar panels on very sunny days, will make up for the intermittency of these energy sources, their greatest weakness. Storing energy efficiently, by minimizing what is known as self-discharge, will make it possible to supply electricity to isolated areas where it is complicated or expensive to bring electricity via a conventional power grid. Finally, the Internet of Things, and all portable electronic devices, require small, high-performance batteries with long autonomy, in order to improve their performance and extend their uses. This white paper addresses the following topics: 1 - what innovations for the batteries of the future?: disruptive batteries for the energy transition; what technologies for tomorrow's batteries?; where will the batteries of the future be produced?; materials for innovative batteries; 2 - increasingly efficient lithium-ion batteries: lithium batteries, very low fire risk, but difficult to control; lithium-ion batteries: many challenges for the transition; a fire protection system to protect lithium-ion battery storage warehouses; 3 - the industrial ecosystem around batteries: creating a new recycling channel for electric vehicle batteries; combining polymers to enhance battery durability; what materials for the batteries of the future?; 4 - to find out more: PhD theses of the month: batteries in search of technological disruption; choosing the right battery technology for the equipment of the future.